Coming Back
by Curlsue24
Summary: What if Rick hadn't died ten years ago? How would everything change now? And why hasn't Molly been in a long-term relationship?
1. I Love You Forever

  
  
Fiona Phillips walked towards the mail box, hoping that her new computer part would come. She looked in, and shook her head. Only bills. She picked them up, walked inside, and laid them on her mother's desk in the den. Fi went to her mother's bedroom door and knocked.  
  
"Mom, I got the mail. They look like bills. Gotta go, Carey's giving me that driving lesson, while you're in the studio today."  
  
"Okay, thanks Fi. Love you. Don't run over the neighbor's cat." Molly jokingly called out to her daughter.  
  
"Aw, mom. I only did that once." Fiona responded, then walked out to the driveway to wait on Carey.   
  
Inside Molly's bedroom, Molly Phillips shook her head and thought, ' Quick wit, just like her father, she becomes more like him each day.'  
Molly walked out to her desk and picked up her mail. "Credit card, electric, phone.." She stopped reading off the bills when she found what she was looking for, an envelope that read 'Musical Degrees Productions.' She dropped the other bills, and ran off to her bedroom with it, and locked her bedroom door once inside.   
  
She opened the envelope up, pulled out the piece of paper inside, and began to read.  
  
Dear Mol,  
  
I miss you so much, as always. I want to be with you, Jack, and Fiona. I want for us to be a family again. I can't handle this for much longer. You know what I mean, only seeing you sporadically, and only seeing Jack and Fi grow up in photos. Hopefully, I'll be out of danger soon, and I could finally be the husband and father I never got to be. When you're in Chicago in a couple of weeks, I'll be at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, ask for John Rollings' room, that's my alias there.  
I love you forever,  
Rick.  
  



	2. The Phillips Girls Smile

"LOOK OUT!!!" Carey screamed, as Fiona was about to hit a little boy on a bike. Fiona swerved the car just as she was about to hit the boy.   
  
"Hey, you don't have to scream. I know what I'm doing." Fi responded back, even though the look of fear was easily seen on her face.  
  
"You don't know what you're doing Fi, that's the problem. Maybe we should head back home." Carey said, trying to calm down.   
  
" Come on, I'm not that bad, am I?" Fi asked Carey, scarring him somewhat. Carey had never seen Fiona Phillips doubt herself before. Carey wasn't sure how to answer, so they spent the rest of the ride to the Phillips' home in silence.  
  
As they pulled into the driveway, and Fiona turned off the car, Carey spoke, "Fiona, you're not a bad driver, you're a new driver. It's different, you won't be the best, but that doesn't mean, you have to be weary of yourself." Fi looked over at Carey, and smiled her first smile of the car ride.  
  
"Thanks Carey," she took his hand, "Thanks for saying that and thanks for helping me learn." Carey looked at her, and smiled back. He couldn't help but kiss her, so he leaned in and laid his lips on her gentle mouth. He pulled back, and saw a look of shock on Fi's face.  
  
"What's wrong? Oh, I shouldn't have done that, I'm so sorry, Fi. I can't believe I did that... Maybe, we should just forget..."  
  
Fi interrupted, "No Carey, I'm speechless, I didn't expect it, but I'm glad that it happened, It felt wonderful." They both got out of the car, Fi walked towards the house, and Carey walked over to the driver's side of the car and got in. Not sure of what they should do next, Fiona went inside, and Carey drove off.  
  
  
  
At the recording studio, Molly was sitting in the recording booth between with a smile on her face. Irene Bell noticed her happiness, and brought it up while bringing Molly a bottle of water.   
  
"Hey, what's made you so happy?" Irene asked, handing her the water.  
  
"Wha.. Well I guess you're right, It's been a nice day." Molly responded, reflecting on the letter from Rick. Not wanting Irene to know the reason of her happiness, she decided to change the subject. "So what's our tour dates like for the next couple of weeks?"  
  
"Well, we have gigs in Denver, Iowa City, Madison, Green Bay, and then we end up at Chicago."  
  
"About Chicago," Molly interrupted, "How long are we staying there?"  
  
"Uh, I think two days, enough time for rehersal, the gig, and a day of rest before we start to head back home."  
  
"Why don't we stay for a little longer, how about a week? I've always wanted to spend time in the Windy City, we never been there for more than a day. I'd bet the kids would enjoy it."   
  
"I guess they would," Irene started, " I'd never heard you share an intrest in Chicago before."  
  
"Oh, I know, but I was reading up on it in some magazine, and it sounds really interesting." Molly told her.  
  
"Well, I guess we could.."  
  
"That would be great." Molly's smile grew larger.  
  
  
  



	3. Room 1430 And Elevators

The Molly Phillips Tour Bus pulled into the Hyatt Regency Hotel parking lot, stopping in front of the hotel's front doors.   
  
"Okay guys, we're here. The band's rehearsals aren't for a couple of hours, so check-in and take a rest. And no trashing the rooms!" Irene Bell announced to everyone on the bus, and reminding the guys about what happened in Green Bay.   
  
"Aw, c'mon, Irene. You know we didn't trash the room, like we told you, Clu had too many burritos and ended up walking around in his sleep." Jack told her while carrying luggage off the bus.   
  
"Hey, Fi, sweetie aren't you coming?" Molly asked her daughter, as Fi walked towards the front of the bus.  
  
"Uh, yeah Mom. I just need some help carrying my bag, and my laptop. Carey could you help me?" Fi asked Carey, as he was lying on the couch.  
  
"Jeez, what am I? The bag boy?" Carey asked jokingly, as he got up to help her.  
  
Molly and the rest of the gang hopped off the bus, as Carey and Fi walked towards Fi's room. Carey picked up her bag, and Fi picked up the book bag with her laptop inside. They walked the stuff out to the front part of the bus, when Fi set her bag on the table, and then sat down onto the couch. Carey did the same, and sat down next to her.  
  
"Alone at last." She said scooting closer towards Carey, starting to kiss him.  
  
"I know what you mean," he said, "I've been waiting to be alone to kiss you for the whole tour." The two started kissing again, oblivious of the world around them, and oblivious to the fact that Molly Phillips had climbed back onto the bus.  
  
Somewhat shocked by what she was seeing she said the only thing she could, "Oh." Carey and Fi looked up, separated, and stood up.  
  
"Maybe we should all go inside now." Molly said, leading Carey and Fi into the hotel. Once inside, she handed Carey his room key, and pointed towards the elevator. Carey followed Molly's finger toward the elevator, he pressed the "up" button, turned around and gave the Phillips girls a sly wave, before getting on the elevator and leaving.  
  
"Now I know why you've been so happy lately. You're dating Carey."  
  
"I don't know if you'd say dating, but I'd guess you're right. Are you okay with that?" Fi looked at her mother, wide-eyed.  
  
"Uh, Fi..," she wasn't sure what to say, "Yeah, I guess I'm okay."  
  
"Thanks, Mom." Fi hugged her mom, took her key, and headed upstairs to find Carey.  
  
Molly watched her daughter and sighed. Her daughter was getting older, falling for a rocker, just as she had done.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Molly entered her room, threw her bag down, and lay down on her bed. She rose off the bed once she saw the vase of flowers. She got off the bed and reached for the envelope next to the flowers. 'Musical Degrees Productions' was printed on the envelope. Molly bit her lip, and tore into the envelope; not able to wait to read it's contents.  
  
Molly,  
We are in the same state, the same city, same hotel. That hasn't happen for awhile. I'm in room 1430, on the second floor.  
Love Always,  
Rick  
  
Finished reading the note, Molly grabbed a small box out of her luggage and her room key, and ran out of her room in search of the love of her life.  
  
  
"Hey there." Carey said, as he sneaked up behind Fi, and grabbed her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Fiona turned around in his arms, and gave him a kiss on his cheek. She was about to give him another kiss, when something caught her eye. A man, about 40 years old, wearing sweats, shades, and a baseball cap, was watching them from the opposite end of the lobby.  
  
"Carey," she whispered, "That guy over there is watching us." Carey turned his head slightly.   
  
"It's probably one of those people against public displays of affection, forget about him." Carey turned his view back to her.  
  
"I don't know, he looks kind of familiar."  
  
"How can you tell? With that hat and sunglasses, you can barely see his face."  
  
"I know, but it's not just the way he looks, he feels familiar to me." Fi shrugged, "It's probably just my imagination though." Fi hugged Carey tighter. "We still have two hours, let's go explore Chicago." They walked out the doors of the lobby, and the shaded man went upstairs.  
  
The shaded man got out on the second floor, took out a room key, unlocked the door to room 1430, and entered. He took the room phone and started to dial, when he heard a knock on the door. He looked through the peephole, and opened the door. Molly Phillips entered the room. The man took off his shades and hat to reveal himself as the one and only, Rick Phillips. Molly immediately ran to him, throwing down her box and key, and gave him a passionate kiss.  
  
"I've missed you so much, I can't even describe it." She kissed him again, and again, each kiss more passionate than the first.  
  
"Oh, Mol. It's been too long." Rick said inbetween kisses. Their kissing led to more kissing, and undressing led to more undressing, and before long, Rick and Molly were finally making love.  
  
  
  
  



	4. A Missed Rehearsal

Molly and Rick lay on the bed, Molly in Rick's arms, her telling him everything she could think of about her and the kids, stuff she couldn't just write down in a letter.   
  
"... And Jack, he misses not having a man to talk to, Ned tries to act like a father figure to him, but you can only do so much. Fi, she still cries for you, she thinks your gone forever, I wish so much I could tell her, tell them, tell everyone that you're not gone, that, ...that your alive!" Molly pauses, tears rolling down her face. She jumps up out of the bed, out of Rick's arms, her naked body shaking. She holds on to herself, trying to pull herself together.  
  
"Damn them!" she screams, "Damn you, Rick! Why? Why did you have to stick your nose where it didn't belong? Why can't they stop doing this to you? Doing this to us? Why?" Molly fell to the bed sobbing, and shaking uncontrollably, Rick grabbed her, rocking her back and forth to calm her down.  
  
  
Irene Bell sits at a table in a club, with a cell phone to her ear, taping her fingernails rapidly.   
  
"Where is she?" she asks herself, "She was suppose to be here an hour ago." Irene waits for a minute, then stands up, throws the phone in her purse angrily, and walks over to the stage where the members of the Molly Phillips Band are standing around.  
  
"Okay, the hotel keeps ringing up to Molly's room, but they aren't getting an answer." the band members look around and sigh a sigh of impatience, "We'll give her another half-hour, but if she doesn't show, we will have to have another rehearsal tomorrow."   
  
Irene starts to walk over towards Carey, when her cell phone rings. "Hello?... Molly?... Where the hell are you? What?... Why not?... Are you okay?... Okay, I'll tell the guys. Are you sure you're okay? Fine, Bye." Irene hung up her phone, and walked back towards the band.  
  
"Okay, for some reason, Molly can't show today, so you're all free to go." The band started to pack up, they wanted to ask 'why?' but they knew not to mess with Irene.  
  
  
Molly hung up the phone and looked over at Rick, "She wanted to know what was wrong, but how do you tell a person that everything is right, but at the same time everything is wrong? I told her I was okay. She doesn't believe me though." She sat back down on the bed next to Rick, she shivered, and Rick handed her a sweatshirt. She put it on and smelled the collar.   
  
"I used to smell your clothes after you left. It was the only way I could think of to keep close to you. I had to stop though, it was just to heartbreaking." She looked up at him with a saddened smile.   
  
"You don't need to do that now, I'm here now."  
  
"Yeah, but for how long? How long will it be before I see you again?"  
  
Rick touched her cheek, "The Witness Protection Program thinks I should be able to come out of hiding soon, the people I am hiding from are all incarcerated now."   
  
"Well then, why are you hiding now?"  
  
"Because 'the Program' thinks that these people might have friends on the outside."  
  
"Why can't you tell me who 'these people' are?"  
  
"Damn it, Molly, you know why? If you knew you'd just be endangering everyone's life even more."  
  
"Fine." She looked away, and with a hardened sigh, asked, "How long is 'soon'?"   
  
It was now Rick's turn to look away. "I'm not sure, it could be from a couple of months, to a couple of years."  
  
Molly head turned quickly to face him. " Years??! I don't think I could handle this another few years."  
  
"But Molly, we never thought we'd get to this point. Now we know I'll be able to come back, I'll be able to be with you, to watch the kids grow up."  
  
Molly screamed at him, "They've already grown up, Jack's going off to college this fall, and Fiona is sixteen, and falling in love for the first time."  
  
They seemed to hit the climax point of the argument, "I'm sorry Mol, I wished this had never happen." He hugged her, then pulled away. He looked down at her, "Fi, in love? When, with the guy I saw her in the lobby with?"  
  
"That's him allright. Remember Ned and Irene's oldest, Carey? He's in the band now."  
  
"Isn't he a little old for her? He's what, probably twenty-two?"  
  
"I guess.."  
  
"Make's since though, he is in a band. Like mother, like daughter."   
  
Rick tried to shrug off the fact that his little girl was growing up. He wanted to spend his time with Molly being happy, not saddened by everything, but now he just wanted to change the subject off of him, and onto Jack and Fi.  
  
"Tell me more about Jack and Fi."  
  
Molly got off the bed, picked up the box she brought with her and sat back down on the bed with it.  
  
She looked at the box, " I call it 'my little treasure box.' I keep all kinds of Jack and Fi's things in here."  



End file.
